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December 10, 2003

December Slipping Away...
Today's weather is a good reminder that warmer days like Monday are memories of the past and colder days are becoming the norm. The kids and I made the best of the very first "snow day" by dusting off the sleds and heading to Westwood Park - a good place for all ages to sled. Nice rolling hills, not too steep or too fast. It is funny how we are all so tired. Shoveling the driveway and sledding for a few hours can sure lead to an exhausted group - not to mention carrying around the weight of an extra layer of clothing and snow boots. We looked like a small group of Eskimos all bundled up and warm. It was a great day, not a day spent in the garden but a great day all the same.

The Christmas tree has been purchased but is still not up. Hopefully we will be able to decorate it before Christmas arrives. December seems to be slipping away a little more quickly then I would prefer. So many things to do that the list is somewhat overwhelming. When am I going to plant those bulbs? I may have missed my chance...

~ Shelly  

Poinsettias And Pets...
Last week we wrote about Poinsettias and the fact they are not toxic to humans.  This raised the obvious question about the plant's toxicity to pets.  Good news.  According to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, "The most common signs of poinsettia exposure reported to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) are vomiting, anorexia, and depression.  These effects are self-limiting and require minimal treatment. Therapy is directed at decreasing further irritation to the gut by restricting access to food and water for one or two hours."

Source

Pacing Your Paperwhites...
As the holidays near, you can adjust the bloom time of your forced paperwhites.  If they are coming along too quickly, place them in a cool room (50-60º F) and water less frequently.  If you need to speed them up a bit, place them in the warmest room in the house.  With a little luck they'll be blooming right on time!

Holiday Window Boxes...
If your empty window boxes are begging for some winter substance try filling them creatively with evergreen branches inserted into the soil.  If the soil is already frozen soften it with warm water first.  You will find that balsam fir branches will hold their blue-green needles until spring.  For added color try bittersweet, holly berries, and strawflowers.


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Household Humidity Help...
You know that dry feeling you get in a heated house all winter long?  Your houseplants like it even less than you do.  They actually prefer a relative humidity of 40 to 50 percent but suffer under humidity levels of 10 to 20 percent common in many homes during the winter months.  What to do?  Humidifiers are an excellent way to increase the relative humidity in the home.  Grouping plants together is an easy way to raise humidity levels as well. The water evaporating from the potting soil, plus water lost through the plant foliage, will increase the relative humidity in the vicinity of the houseplants.  Another method is to place houseplants on trays (saucers) filled with pea gravel or pebbles.  Add water to the trays, but keep the bottoms of the pots above the water line.  The evaporation of water from the trays increases the relative humidity.  

By the way, misting houseplants is not an effective way to raise the relative humidity.  The plant foliage dries quickly after misting and would have to be done several times a day to be effective at all.

Source

Poinsettias Perfected...
From our friends at University of Missouri Extension here are some good tips to make your poinsettias last longer and retain their colorConsumers should consider several factors when buying a poinsettia plant, said David Trinklein, professor of horticulture. The plant should have bright bracts and healthy foliage that does not look wilted. Its cyathia, the true flower in the center of the bracts, should be tightly clustered and just starting to shed pollen. Once it is brought home these tips will keep it healthy and happy:

  • Place it in a brightly lit location away from cold drafts or hot air registers.
  • Color can be prolonged if the plant is kept at 60° to 72° with high humidity.
  • Don't overwater a poinsettia. Water only when the surface of the growing medium is dry to the touch.
  • If the pot containing the plant is foil-covered, be sure there is a drainage hole in the foil. Empty any water that might drain through the pot and collect in the saucer below.

Source

 


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Winter Wisdom...
Most of us have heard the controversy over genetically modified plants and their potential for ruin in our ecosystems.  Far fewer have given thought to what is probably a greater and more present threat in our own gardens.  Find out what it is in this week's Winter Wisdom...

Cold Facts About Cool Season Grasses...
Just because your lawn has stopped growing don't think it can be ignored!  Unless we get appreciable snow, which acts as an insulating cover, cool-season grasses are at risk from desiccation.  Young turf is at the greatest risk, especially with repeated freeze/thaw cycles.  A good soaking (½ - 1 inch) at the time mowers are serviced and stored for winter, will help alleviate this problem by supplying water to the soil and keeping plants moist.  

Finally...
"In the bleak mid-winter
Frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron,
Water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
Snow on snow,
In the bleak mid-winter,
Long ago."

~ Christmas Carol

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